Wager gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines, and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines depends on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely attracted to the most entertaining and exciting of the machines. Consequently, shrewd operators strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available because such machines attract frequent play and increase profitability for the operator. In the competitive wager gaming machine industry, there is a continuing need for manufacturers to produce new game types or to enhance entertainment and excitement associated with existing wager gaming machines.
In one type of gaming machine, a game may progress through a series of states. It may be desirable to discontinue play on one gaming machine or during a game session, and start up play on the same or a different gaming machine with the same state as the player left off. When a player carries a state of the game from one gaming session or gaming machine to another, it may be said that the state persists from one session or gaming machine to another. Such persistent state play can be used in many different ways to increase the enjoyment of players.